The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1887-12-28
DOGS AND SLEDGES.
HOW THE ESKIMO DRIVER MAN
AGES HIS TEAM OF DOGS. :

The Long sleds of the Kinnepatoos-Pat-
terms in Use by the Traders OF Kam-
chatISa and AIaska-Northern Siberia.
The DIcCIintocE Model.
Eskimo dogs have each harness with
loops that pass around the neck and I'M
der each leg, uniting on the back and
fastened to long trace of sealslxin about
third Of an inch wide. The traces are
Of various lengths, SO that when hitched
to the sled the dogs can spread out like a
fan. They are guided by the voice of the
driver, whose commands are enforced
with whip, the handle of which is about
eighteen inches in length, and the lash
from eighteen to thirty feet long. The
dogs in Siberia are harnessed In pairs on
either side of q long line Of walrus skin
and are trained to obey the drivers voice.
The driver controls the movements Of the
sled with O stout stick shod with iron,
which he uses as brake.
In crossing rough ice the Kinnepatoo
Eskimos, OF Hudson Bay, use o sled about
eighteen inches wide and from thirty to
forty feet long This is intended to ride
across the hummocks with a much stead
ier motion than q short sled which Ia
constantly pitching about, and under such
circumstances, very hard to draw and ex-
tremely difficult to handle The long
sleds OF the Kinnepatoos glide very
smoothly and rapidly over rough ice, and
are easily managed They are made with
solid plank runners, sometimes spliced to
secure greater length, and are shod with
moss and iced.
IN SIBERIA AND ALASKA.
The Russian traders and settlers in
Kamtchatka and Alaska have several pat
terms Of sleds. The one upon which heavy
loads are drawn is a trestlework OF strong
wood dashed with rawhide thongs. It Is
! very light, runs smoothly and is not easily
broken. At Petropaulovski, in KANT
chatkn, | also procured q small sled of
basketwork, which was made somewhat
in the shape of q large saddle, with very
high pommel and Group. 1t is designed to
carry one person only, who sits astride of
it and rests his feet on the runners. This
can be used only for light work and on
short rapid journeys, for it has no place
wherein to carry any load.
The sled used by the tribes In Northern
Siberia combines the excellencies Of the
long sled of the Kinnepatoos the trestle-
work sled of the Russian traders and the
McClintock sled, used by mostly all Brit
ish explorers. 1t is made with shin. broad
runners Of wood shod with strips Of jaw
bone of the whale or sort Of hard drift
wood found on the northeastern coast of
Siberia. The bed or platform is sup
ported by uprights let into md dashed to
runners.
THE M'cLINTocK SLED.
The sled most approved by modern ex-
plorers Of Arctic North America is known
as 'sthe McClintock sled, and was de-
signed and used by Admiral Sir Leopold
McClintock, Of the ROYAL navy, ON ali his
Arctic journeys. It is made with runners
of hard wood, with upri0hts and cross.
pieces of the same material mortised and
rlveted and the runners. shod with hoop
iron, are bent up front and rear so that
the sled can be drawn equally well with
either end in front. MY experience with
sleds Of this pattern has been that though.
perhaps, excellent where men are used in